Federal Employees Civil Relief Act
Sponsored By: Representative Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2]
Introduced
Summary
Temporary civil relief for federal workers during funding lapses and debt-limit breaches. This bill would create a court-supervised pause on many civil obligations for furloughed or non-pay federal employees and contractor staff while a shutdown or debt-limit breach lasts and for a brief recovery period.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Keep worker insurance active during shutdowns
If enacted, your health, life, disability, and car insurance could not end during a shutdown just because you missed a premium. This would apply to policies you had before the shutdown and that stayed in force during it. A court could order otherwise in a specific case.
Protect credit and dependents of federal workers
If enacted, lenders and insurers could not use your request for relief under this bill as the sole reason to deny or change terms. Courts could reduce fines or stop collections if the shutdown made it hard for you to pay. Your dependents could also apply for these protections if they are materially affected.
Shutdown bill and housing pause for federal workers
If enacted, furloughed or unpaid federal workers could ask a court to pause bills due during a shutdown. This could cover rent, mortgage, taxes, fines, insurance, and other payments. Landlords could not evict you from your main home without a court order. Foreclosures, vehicle seizures, and many lien sales would be blocked unless a court approved them before. Courts could pause cases or change payments if the shutdown hurt your ability to pay.
Who is covered and how to enforce
If enacted, protections would cover federal employees and contractor employees. A shutdown would mean a funding lapse over 24 hours or a debt limit breach. The covered period would run from the start of the shutdown to 30 days after it ends. Rules would apply in civil and administrative cases in U.S. courts and agencies, not criminal cases or child support. Agencies would need to give written notices at hire and when a shutdown begins. The Attorney General or harmed workers could sue violators, and courts could award money and civil penalties up to $55,000 for a first violation and $110,000 for later violations.
Student loan freeze for unpaid federal workers
If enacted, student loan payments due during a shutdown would be paused for furloughed or unpaid federal workers. Interest would not build during the covered period. Lenders could not default the loan, send it to collections, report it to credit bureaus, or garnish wages or refunds without a court order. This would apply to federal student loans and private education loans.
IRS payment delay for federal workers
If enacted, the IRS could delay collecting federal income tax that comes due during a shutdown. You would need to notify the IRS and show the shutdown hurt your ability to pay. Collection could be delayed up to 90 days after the shutdown ends, with no interest or penalties during the delay. This would not cover employee payroll taxes.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2]
PA • D
Cosponsors
Randall
WA • D
Sponsored 10/8/2025
Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
WI • D
Sponsored 10/8/2025
Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2]
LA • D
Sponsored 10/8/2025
Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6]
OR • D
Sponsored 10/8/2025
McClellan
VA • D
Sponsored 10/14/2025
Scott (VA)
VA • D
Sponsored 10/14/2025
Pingree
ME • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1]
MO • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Elfreth
MD • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Thompson (MS)
MS • D
Sponsored 10/21/2025
Carson
IN • D
Sponsored 10/21/2025
Jackson (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2]
HI • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov